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Resident urges district to review use of Portnoff Law Associates after alleged billing practices
Summary
A resident told the board he received a late secondary bill collected by Portnoff Law Associates, described aggressive letters and cited past lawsuits and BBB complaints in other jurisdictions; he asked the district to reconsider the vendor and to revoke a $75 charge.
A Bethlehem resident raised concerns during public comment about the district's use of Portnoff Law Associates to collect outstanding school-billing balances, saying he received a secondary bill and later a certified notice that increased his balance and added attorney-fee warnings.
The resident — who identified himself in the meeting as Steven of 737 Ridge — said he paid his primary bill on time but later received a secondary bill for $75.66 that he said arrived after he had already paid the original bill. He said when he withheld payment to see what would happen, he received a certified-style letter that he described as deceptive and said the balance rose to $156.67. He said the collector's correspondence warned of additional charges and mentioned potential attorney fees as high as $800.
"They're predators," the resident said of the collection firm, and he urged the district to find "someone that's legitimate, ethical, and fair." He asked the board to revoke the $75 charge.
The resident referenced litigation and complaints involving the firm in other Pennsylvania municipalities and said a judge in another county ordered large penalties for deceptive practices; those claims were presented as the resident's account and were not corroborated at the meeting by district staff. The board did not provide a response on the record during the public comment period, and no formal action was taken during the committee meeting.
